If you’re the type of person that appreciates a nice slab of smoky bacon, then listen up. That goes for you, too, if you’re the one hunkering over the pork chop display. We’ve got something. Something good. Something that involves brining and cold-smoking entire racks of pork. On the bone. Got your attention? Good.
We’ve then sliced a bunch of drop-dead, beautiful chops. Whoah, whoah whoah. Does that mean smoked Kassler chops, ON THE BONE. You bet your ass it does. All you need to do is to finish cooking them at home, pairing them with something like the recipe below, for an easy weeknight meal (That’ll take less than 15 minutes from start to finish.) This slaw provides a freshness to help balance the fatty, smoky, heady, dreamy pork. That said, there are some pretty punchy flavours in there too. It’s a great little dish and one worth having up your sleeve. Celery doesn’t get a lot of love but it works beautifully in this case.
Ingredients:
For the pork chops:
2 x FFMM smoked rib chops
Enough olive oil to rub on each pork chop
White pepper, ground, to season. (Use freshly cracked black pepper instead, if you have to).
For the slaw:
3 tbs neutral oil
Juice and zest of two limes
2 tsp fish sauce
2 x cups celery, sliced on the diagonal
1/4 cup sliced spring onion (white and green parts)
1 - 2 chillies, sliced finely on the diagonal (how much heat you want in here is up to you)
1 x cup coriander (stems and leaves), roughly chopped
1/4 cup roasted, salted peanuts (you can roast them at home if you really want to but the ones straight off the shelf are absolutely fine.)
What to do:
1. The salad is laughably easy. Whisk together the oil, the fish sauce and the lime juice. In a deep bowl, toss all ingredients together until well combined and add the dressing. Toss again to make sure everything is nicely coated.
2. Meanwhile, get a pan nice and hot and rub your pork chops in the oil and white pepper.
3. Add a small slick of oil to the pan and cook the pork chops until caramelised and cooked through, turning often. (This should take about 6 - 8 minutes). Remember, it’s OKAY TO EAT THESE A LITTLE BIT PINK!
4. Towards the end of cooking, stand the chops on their side, fat side down. This will help render the fat out and get you the beautiful, crispy vibe you’re after.
5. When done, remove and allow to rest for a few minutes. To serve, either slice the meat off the bone and slice again into pieces, stacking them back against the bone or…you know… just serve the whole thing as a chop.